Sturgeon River in Michigan

Trip Overview

OK, so it's not WHITE water. It does bounce, though. And it is a fun day trip. Especially if you travel with a friend who has never dumped his kayak before.

We did an afternoon trip from Wolverine to Indian River. The water is fast, narrow and twisty. If you know your boat, it's no problem, if not you may get clotheslined. The main obstacles were an old dam flume in Wolverine followed by a flume at the Smith Rd. bridge followed by numerous continuous class II rapids and downed trees.

In the White Rd. section we ran into a group of drinking and bikini clad tubers. They subsequently managed to flip my friend who has never flipped. Twenty minutes later he managed to flip all on his own, by talking to me and not watching where he was going. A white birch reached out and grabbed him. The rest of the float is uneventful. We hauled out at the Indian River park and ride, ate some McD's and called it a good, good day.

The Sturgeon River is not technical, but just a lot of fun. 12' boat is max recommended.

Accommodations:

Campgrounds in Wolverine, at Haakwood, Rondo Rd. and in Indian River, all quite good actually. Try Haakwood to get away from the crowds.

Fees:

Yes, at Haakwoods, $15 per night, at others, inquire.

Directions:

Off of I-75 in Northern Michigan, Wolverine and Indian River exits

Resources:

DeLorme Atlas of Michigan